A conventional fish floater, sometimes referred to as a bobber, normally attaches firmly to a fishing line a predetermined distance from the end of the fishing line. With a fishing hook secured at or near the end of the fishing line, the bobber floats on the surface of the water and holds the hook a predetermined distance under the surface. When a fish strikes the bait, or the lure, the fish pulls the line downwardly, thereby pulling the floater under the surface of the water. Thus, the floater holds the hook a desired distance below the water surface and serves as an indicator of a strike.
Many fish seek their food at or near the bottom of the lake, river, stream, or pond in which they live. Accordingly, it is desirable to fish with the hook placed close to the bottom. For a known depth, this is accomplished by attaching the floater to the line a distance from the end which is slightly less than the known depth. This assures that the hook will be held close to the bottom but will not drag or rest upon the bottom. If the fisher fishes in a body of water which has different depths, the floater must be detached from the line and then reattached again in the proper position each time the fishing location changes. This represents an inconvenience to fishermen, particularly when fishing from a boat, where winds may cause the boat to drift.
Moreover, a fisher seldom knows the depth of the body of water in which he or she is fishing, either because of unfamiliarity with the body of water or the multiple depth variations in relatively larger bodies of water. Thus, the fisher does not know where to initially attach the floater. Unless the fisher performs at least one depth test, there exists no simple and effective way to determine where to attach a floater to a fishing line to assure that the hook is close to the bottom.
It is an objective of this invention to eliminate the need for a fisher to know a water depth to effectively locate a fish hook near the bottom.
It is another objective of the invention to eliminate the need to detach and reattach a floater to a fishing line every time fishing occurs at a different depth.
The objectives of this invention are met by a floater which slides along a fishing line to adjust automatically to different water depths.
More particularly, the above stated objectives are met by a floater with a two-piece construction which includes a guide or frame member and a buoyant, eccentrically weighted hub rotatably connected to the guide member. The guide member includes two spaced guideways through which the fishing line passes The hub resides between the guideways and includes a peripheral depression, or groove, about which the fishing line is wrapped once.
Preferably, the guide member is elongated, and has two tubular portions aligned along an axis. The hub is rotatable about a second axis which is parallel with the water surface and perpendicular to the first axis. At all times, the hub maintains the groove in alignment with the first axis. The fishing line extends through the top guideway, once or twice around the hub along the peripheral groove and then outwardly through the bottom guideway. With tension on the line from either direction, the hub will rotate.
In use, the fishing line is extended through one guideway, wrapped once around the hub along the groove and then extended out the bottom guideway. A weight, or sinker, is attached to an end of the fishing line, and a hook is located adjacent the weight. When placed into the water, either by casting or feeding the line, the weight will gradually sink and pull the hook and the line downwardly until the weight contacts the bottom. The weight will sink gradually because of the eccentric weighing of the hub with respect to the axis of rotation. During downward movement, the weight pulls the line through the guideways and along the groove of the rotating hub.
When the weight contacts the bottom, the pulling force on the line stops, and the hub stops rotating. Immediately thereafter, the weighing and/or the buoyancy of the hub causes up to one additional half turn about the rotation axis, during which time the line slides along the groove. This places a slight upwardly directed force on the line which, in combination with the downward force of the weight, holds the line taut with the hook located above the bottom. The guide member may be oriented vertically, or tilted slightly at an angle.
When a fish strikes the hook, the initial pulling motion will cause the hub to rotate with respect to the guide member. Because of the preferable elongated shape of the hub with respect to its axis of rotation, hub rotation creates ripples upon the surface of the water to indicate to the fisherman that a strike has occurred. Depending upon the force and direction of the pulling motion, the guide member may also bob up and down on the surface of the water. During light nibbles or slight disturbances, the guide member may tilt somewhat.
This inventive floater may be formed from any buoyant material which is not subject to degradation from extended us in water. The hub should be made of a material which is nonslidable with respect to nylon fishing line. The bottom of the groove may be scored crosswise or roughened to provide the right texture.
This inventive floater provides several advantages over prior floaters. First, because this floater is slidably connected to the fishing line, it is not necessary for a fisher to know the depth of the water to attach the floater to the fishing line at a position which will locate the hook near the bottom. The floater allows the weight at the end of the line to find the bottom gradually and automatically. Secondly, the combination of upward and downward forces holds the line relatively taut, with the hook near the bottom. Finally, rotation of the elongated shaped hub creates disturbances upon the surface of the water to provide an accurate indication of when a strike has occurred, with minimal false alarms.
These and other features of the invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.